Times are over when you had to search in Bodrum for a nice place to wine and dine. Here are
some places we tried ourself

The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology is aptly located inside the medieval stone
walls of the landmark Castle of St Peter in the centre of Bodrum. The museum features myriad artefacts salvaged
from the bottom of the Aegean and Mediterranean, many of which visitors can touch and feel.
Begin your tour in the middle courtyard of the Castle with the vast mulberry tree offering ample shade. To the
left you can visit the section allocated to amphorae dating from the Bronze Age to more recent Byzantine samples.
To the right, what was once a chapel now houses an exact 1:1 scale replica of a Byzantine wreck dating back to
the 7th century BC of a ship found off Yassiada between Turgutreis and the Greek Island of Pserimo. The original
ship was carrying the largest collection of 7th century ceramics ever found, including the earliest known samples
of Byzantine glazed pottery. A set of Byzantine weights, net needles for mending fishing nets as weil as lead sinkers
indicate that the crew fished for food while sailing southward from the Black Sea or Constantinople.
In the upper courtyard, there are two showrooms with marvellous examples of glass from 14th BC to 11th AD, most
of which were found in the shipwrecks near Yassiada, Serçe and Uluburun.
The Serçe Liman shipwreck is an authentic reconstruction of the wooden remains of an 1V" century ship
mea-suring 16 metres long with a capacity of 35 tonnes. In addition to the glassware displayed, diverse items were
found on this wreck ineluding wooden chess pieces and a personal grooming kit.
Ser9e Harbour, opposite Rhodes, is a small, well-protected inlet to the Northeast of Bozukkale (Loryma), between
Marmaris and Bodrum. Ships that found shelter in this natural harbour most probably faced sudden winds channelled
from different directions. The wreck of an 11th century ship with a cargo
of Islamic glass is an example of the earliest dated vessel built in the modern frame-first manner. Although much
of the cargo carried on this ship was Islamic, most of the crew and merchants on board were Christians as revealed
by
Byzantine aeals with Christian scenes such as ,the Virgin Mary with Christ.
The he upper courtyard, where the
English Tower is located, is home to the
Bronce age shipwreck of Uluburun.
What makes this reconstruction so
interesting is the realistic manner in which it is displayed under sail in its entirety, with a cutaway view of
the ship's crew and cargo.
The shipwrecks in the museum take their names from the regions where they were found. The Gelidonya wreck is thought
to have been a merchant vessel that ripped its bottom open on a pinnacle ofrock near the surface ofthe sea around
the western extremity ofAntalya Bay. In 1959 a sponge diver, Kemal Aras, from Bodrum, and journalist Peter Throck-morton
examined die wreck and its con-centration ofeopper ingot cargo, and die subsequent exeavation in 1960 brought forth
a largely intact underwater late Bronze Age archaeological discovery. Research on the shipwreck revealed that the
ship was of Near Eastern origin.
The Uluburun shipwreck, discovered southeast of Kas, revealed a unique cargo throughout eleven summers of excavation.
The cargo was ten tons of Cypriot copper ingots, die earliest known intact glass ingots, bgs of ebony and cedar,
Cypriot and Near Fast terebinth resin, ivory, ostrich eggshells, amphorae and bronze weapons. Included among the
many precious artefacts were gold jewellery, a fascinating gold scarab of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, a bronze figurine
partly decorated with gold, various ivory figurines and objects, die smallest of die animal shaped weights, and
the oldest book. The nationality of the ship is unknown but die eollection of seals show that some Near Eastern
rulers were sending gifts to Egyptian and Aegean rulers. and the 24 stone anchors are of a type found off die coast
of present day Israel.
The combined efforts of local Bodrum sponge divers, the Turkish Ministry of Culture, the Institute of Nautical
Archaeology and die director and personnel of the Museum have created and continually support the ongoing efforts
to preserve and present the past treasures of the deep.

Sünger PizzaCheap and cheerful - opposite the marina. Best Pizza and meeting point of the town. It is always crowded
with locals and the sailing crowd. If you venture on to the roof terrace there are tremendous views over the Harbour
towards the castle. The personality of the place reflects the local well-known owner. Try 'Çökertme'
thin sliced meat on a layer of fine grated chips with yoghurt.

Balik ExpressJust recently opened in the OASIS center, this kind of dishes was missed
since a long time. Next to the cinema you will find all famous Turkish dishes made with the shimmering "hamsi",
a small fish similar to anchovy, freshly delivered every second day from the Blacksea. There are at least forty
different dishes made with hamsi! Many poems, anecdotes and folk dances are inspired by this delicious fish. Tel.
3170378

Sandal Thai & ChineseA restaurant that does justice to Oriental cuisine is SANDAL which serves excellent Thai and Chinese
dishes at very reasonable prices. To eat there is a rare pleasure and the only problem you may face is deciding
on a choice from their extensive menu. All the dishes that we tasted were
excellent. SANDAL is on Atatürk Street, a short walk east from the middle of town. - this is one of oldest
quality restaurants in Bodrum. Run by Mustafa and his Thai wife (the genius behind the superb dishes) since more
then 12 years. The authentic decoration makes you feel in one of these restaurants on the coast in Thailand. Tel
316 9117

IboLocated in the heart of the hustle and bustle of central Bodrum Ibo is a traditional Turkish restaurant
set in the midst of the vines giving essential shade. Traditional Turkish musicians play their trade in the small
restaurant. There are a variety of foods on offer from simple Turkish dishes to basic western food. Pricing is
medium range.
For those who want to venture a little further from Bodrum we recommend: Gümüslük
A sunken city and harbour from ancient times, coupled with a fishing village, interesting walk across the sunken
city wall to Rabbit island provides a superb back drop for the restaurants that line the harbour. A true delight
is watching the sun slowly sinking into the Aegean sea on a warm summers evening. The restaurants serve traditional
food with particular emphasis on Fish freshly caught. Türkbükü
The quieter resorts much favoured by the wealthy from Istanbul include this lovely village where the restaurants
nestle along the side of the Aegean, and the experience is enhanced by the restaurants actually spilling out onto
the water.

Please note that all sea food prices should be negotiated when you order to avoid unexpectedly high bills!